Railway brake beam



Nov. 10, 1925.

s. A. cnom; RAILWAY BRAKE BEAN Filed Feb, 12, 1925 2 Shoots-Shoot '1 Nov. 10, 925. 1,561,058

5. A. CRONE RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed Feb, 12. 1925 2 Sheets-She et 2 iNvEN'roR:

stare v leans raters.

SETH A. CRONE, OF EAST ORANGE, I JEVV JERSEY, ASSIGI-TDB T BUFFJlLO BRA COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

\ RAILVTAY BRAKE BEAM.

Application filed February To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, S TH A. CnoNn, a citi- Zen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Brake Beams, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains to trussed. brakebeams for railway-cars and especially to a novel strut interposed between the compression and tension members of the beam.

One purpose of the invention is to provide a novel forged metal strut having suitably spaced-apart sides to receive between them the usual brake-lever, means at the back end of the strut for engagement with the compression member of the beam and special means at the forward end of the strut to afford an adequate seat for and effectually retain the forward curved central portion of the tension member or truss-rod.

One difficulty incident to the production of one-piece forgedmetal struts, has resided in discovering a method of providing an adequate seat for the truss rod,a seat which will securely retain the rod in place dur .ing the practical use of the beams and a seat which in itself is of sufficient strength to withstand modern railway requirements.

My invention has more particular reference to the forward or seat-end of the strut, and in accordance with my method of manufacture I reinforce the seat-end of the strut with the use of a Ushaped bar or insert applied thereto with the legs of the bar or insert projecting forwardly, said legs being positioned to extend above and below and receive between. them the truss rod, and said legs being of adequate length to effectually retain the truss rod on the strut-end and of suitable width to present broad smooth surfaces to said rod.

The strut comprises a main forged metal bar folded into U-form and the auxiliary forged metal U-bar or insert which I apply to the seat end of the strut for reinforcing said end and providing adequate means to 'eceive and retain the truss rod.

The invention will be. fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the ac. companying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a brake-beam strut shown in position in a brakebeam, the

12, 1925. Serial No. 3,620.

compression and tension members of the beam being indicated in vertical transverse section:

Fig. is a top view of the forward end portion of the same, a part of the tension member or truss rod being indicated by dotted lines; I

Fig. 3 is a front end view ofthe same, with a portion of the tension member shown by dotted lines;

Fig. at is a longitudinal section through a portion of the same, the section being on the dotted line's-4- of Fig 3;

5 is a perspective view showing the middle portion of the flat bar from which the body of the strut is formed and the ti-shaped forged metal insert 1 apply to the slits in said portion of the bar in providing a seat and retainers for the truss rod or tension member of the beam;

Fig. (i is a horizontal section, partly broken away, of a modified construction of brake-beam embodying my invention, the section being on the dotted line 6-6 of Fig. 7, the beam shown in Fig. 6 being of known type employing a vertically disposed brakelever as distinguished from one set at an angle of forty degrees from the vertical and requiring the type of strut shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the same, taken on the dotted line 7-7 of Fig. Fig. 6.

Figs 8 and 9 are perspective views showing, respectively, the middle portion of the initially flat barfrom which the strut shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is formed and a ii -shaped inetalinsert I apply to the slots formed in said bar'in providing a seat for the truss rod of the'beam;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section through the bar shown in Fig. 8 and illustrates the ti-shaped inserts as having been applied to the slots therei n'Fig. 10 showing the parts in their initial shape and relation to each other, and

Fig. l1 is a perspective view, partl-yin section and partly broken away, showing a further endless desirable Way of applying the il-shaped' e t t0 heb ar- Referringto Figs. 1 to ,5 inclusive, 1. des- .ignates the strut as a whole, ll the compression member and 12 the tension rnernber com-v pr sing. a trussed cars. I

, ne re for ra lway- The main bodyof the strut is formed from a single bar of forged metal folded at its middle portion into approximately U- shape having parallel sideslS, 1 1, and members, as 15, for illustration, at the free ends of said sides to engage the compression member, which may be of any suitable crosssection. By suitably twisting the sides 13,

- 14: at their rear portions, as at 16, in a wellunderstood manner, the main body of the sides is caused to lie at an angle of forty degrees from the vertical, as shown in Figs. 1

and 2, to suitably receive betweenthem the brake-lever, not shown, as usual.

My invention resides in a special formation of the forward end of the strut to adapt the same to adequately receive and retain the middle portion of the truss-rod.

In carrying out my invention, in the form shown in F1gs..1 to 5 inclus1ve,1 form two slits 17, 18 (Fig. 5) lengthwise of the flat-bar from which the body ofthe strut is to be of the metal is cut away and the metal of the bar is slit lengthwise of the grain thereof,

no portion of the metal'being cut across the grain thereof. I l

' After the slits 17 18 have been formed in the flat bar, I apply to the bar at what is to be the inner side of the fold or bend 19, a

forged metal bar or insert 23 which is of ap- I proximately U-shape and comprises a back member 2 1 and forwardly projecting legs or arms 25. The insert 23 when applied to the main bar is hot and the legs or arms of the insert are driven through the slits17, 18 until the back member 24 "of' the insert engages the adjacent face of the main bar.

After the insert 23 has been applied to the main bar, said bar is subjected to the folding or bending operation and its folded or bent end is, on this operation, acted on by male and femaledies to transformthat end into an outline adapting the same to receiveand retain the truss-rod, as shown in Figs. 1, 2,

3 and 4. Que effect of the dies, on this final operation, isto twist the forwardly projectingpor'tions: of the arms25 diagonally in op posite directions onconcave' lines (Fig; 3),

' whereby broadicurved smooth parallel sur facjs i26 are.. pre sented for" seating and "re'a taining the tru s sgrod, one of said arms 25 witliits seating and retaining surface 26 being-extending forwardly at the upper side of said rod, and the other arm 25 with its seating and retaining surface 26 being extended forwardly at the lower sideof said rod'and both of said arms being of such length that they efficiently' act as keepers for said rod. Another effect of the final action of the dies isito concave the seat portion 19' between the arms 25, as at 27 (F 4:) to harmonize and cooperate with the concave surfaces 26 of the arms 25. Another effect of the final action of the dies is to crowd the outwardly displaced portions 22, 23 of the main bar, inwardly against the base portions of the arms 25, as denoted at 28 (Fig. 1).

It will be apparent that'the forward ent of the strut constructed in accordance "with my method of procedure is one ofgreat strength and resisting powerand capable of efficiently performing all of the duties required by modern railway service. It will be apparent also that under no circumstances couldthe retaining arms 25, after the strut has been completed, escape from the' main bar, this being due in part to the reverse twisting of said arms, as shown in Fig. 3, to occupy the diagonally opposite positions shown and engage the truss rod. The insert 23, when in its final position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, becomes a fixed part of the strut and presents features of efficiency not l heretofore attained, so far as I know in forged metal struts.

I In the construction shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, 29 denotes the strut, 30 the compression member of thebeam and 31 the truss rod'or tension member. The construw tion shown in Figs. 6 to .10 inclusiveis in tended for the class of trucks calling for vertically disposed brake levers, instead of V brake levers standing at an angle of to the vertical, as would be the case of the strut shown in Fig. 1. A. great many cars of for eign make require the construction of strut adapted to receive between its sides a ver ticallyr disposed brake lever. The flat bar from which the body of the strut 29 is formed will, while in the flat, haveopenin 32, '33 formed in it, these openings being parallel with and'opposite to each other and extending lengthwise of theaba'r. The openings 32, 33 are located in that part of the bar which, when the bar, is folded to form the strut, will extend transversely across the bend or fold of the bar and which I number 34:. I apply to the openings 32, 33.2111 inserti 35 which is substantially the same as the insert :23 shown in Fig. 5. The insert 35 comprises a back member 36wand parallel arms orllegs 37 which project forwardly and which I insert through the openings;32, 8,3

in the'flat bar. The insert35 is substantially' off'U-shape and will be applied to the 7 main bar while said baris in a. heated 0on V 'ditionand while said insert is hot. 'Aften theinsert 35:has; b@1l appliedjto the fiattill forged bar, said bar is tied or folded and at the same time subjected to the action of dies which will concave the bend or fold 34L of the strut to form a transverse concave seat for the truss-rod and at the same time crowd the leg members 37 of the insert in a direction outwardly from each other, as shown in Fig. 3, to receive between them the rod 31. The inner facing surfaces of the leg members 37, 37, by the action of the dies, are concaved to match the concavity formed in the end of the bend or fold 3-1 so as to form a continuous sea extending against a large surface of the truss rod 31. T he metal at the outer sides of the openings 32, 33 be comes crowded against the outwardly flaring portions of the leg members 37, as shown in Fig. 7, so that a very rigid connection of the insert 35 with the forward end of the strut results, it being impossible for the insert to escape from the bend or fold of the strut.

In Fig. 11 1 illustrate a further modified construction of a portion of the invention, this modification residing in providing longitudinal recesses 38 in the opposite edges of the flat bar to receive the legs 39 of the insert member 4.0 in lieu of forming the openings 32, 33 in the bar and in lieu of forming the openings 1.7, 18 in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

I prefer the construction shown in Fig. l for modern railway equipment, and the construction shown in Fig. 6 is necessary when the strut is compelled to accomn'iodate vertically disposed brake levers.

In accordance with my invention I do not weaken the sides of the strut in any respect, but do materially strengthen the forward end of the strut and at the same time provide adequate means for effectually retaining a truss rod against its seat at the end of the strut.

.Vhat It claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A. brake-beam strut comprising a folded forged metal bar having sides to receive be tween them a brake-lever, means at the free ends of said sides for engagement with a compression member, a fold or bend at its forward end to receive a tension member and a forged metal insert applied to said fold and having forwardly projecting anms to extend above and below and retain the tension member.

3. A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim 1., in. which said insert is approximately of ttshape and has its back member against the inner face of said fold and its arms projected forwardly beyond said fold.

3. A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim I, in which the forward face of said fold is concaved to form a seat for the tension member, and in which said insert is approximately of Ushape and has its back member against the inner face of said fold and its arms projected forwardly beyond said fold and concaved outwardly at their inner end portions in continuation of said concave seat.

4,. A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim 1, in which said insert is a bar bent into U-shape and of considerably greater width than thickness so as to present broad smooth surfaces to the tension member.

A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim 1, in which said bar at its middle or fold portion is out to receive said arms and permit them to project forwardly with due regard to the upper and lower sides of the tension member.

6. A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim 1, in which said insert is a bar of considerable width bent into approximately U- shape and has its back member against the inner face of said fold and its arms projected forwardly beyond said fold, and in which the main bar at its fold portion is cut to receive and permit the forward projection of said arms.

7. A brake-beam strut comprising a forged metal. bar folded at its middle portion to form sides to receive between them a brake lever and a fold at the forward end of the strut to receive a tension member, and a forged metal insert applied at said fold and having forwardly projecting arms to extend above and below and retain the tension member, said bar being cut transversely at its fold portion to receive said arms, said sides being set at anangle of approximately forty degrees from the vertical and said arms at the outer side of said fold being diagonally reversely twisted to present smooth surfaces to the tension member.

8. A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim 7, in which the forward face of said fold concaved diagonally between said arms to form a seat for the tension member and in which said arms adjacent to said fold are concave outwardly in their twisted portion to cooperate with said seat.

9. A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim 7, in which said insert is approximately of U-shape and has its back member against the inner face of said fold and its arms projected forwardly beyond said fold.

10. Abrake-beam strut as claimed in claim 7, in which said insert is a bar bent into approximately U-shape and of considerably greater width than thickness so as to present broad smooth surfaces to the tension member.

11. A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim 7, in which said bar at its fold portion has parallel openings cut inwardly from its side edges to receive said arms, said arms being secured by the metal of the bar at opposite sides of said openings. Y

12. Abrakerbeain strut as claimed in claim 7, in which said insert is a bar of considerable width bent into approximately U- shape and has its back member against the inner face of said fold and its arms projected forwardly beyond said fold, and in which the main bar is cut inwardly from its side edges to form parallel longitudinal openings in its middle or told portion to receive the arms of said insert, said arms being secured by the metal of the bar at opposite sides of said openings.

13. A brake-beam strut as claimed in claim 7, in which said insert is a bar of consider able width bent into approximately U-shape and has its back member against the inner face of said fold and its arms projected forwardly beyond said fold, and in which the main bar is cut inwardly from its side edges to form parallel longitudinal slits, pressed outwardly at their outer sides, in its middle or told portion'to receive the arms of said insert, said arms being secured by the metal of the bar at opposite sides of said slits.

14. Abrake-beam strut as claimed in claim 1, in which said bar at its middle or fold portion has openings cut therein inwardly l romits side edges to receive said arms and permit them to project forwardly, said arms being held'by the metal of the bar at opposite sides of said openings.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, andvState of New York, this 10th day of February, A. D. 1925.

- SETH A. CRONE. 

